The Ubuntu Kernel Team is planning to move to the 2.6.27 kernel for the upcoming Intrepid Ibex 8.10 release. As a result, the kernel team would appreciate it if you could please test this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. There are one of two ways you should be able to test:

1) If you are comfortable installing packages on your own, the linux-image-2.6.27-* package is currently available for you to install and test.

--or--

2) The upcoming Alpha5 for Intrepid Ibex 8.10 will contain this newer 2.6.27 Ubuntu kernel. Alpha5 is set to be released Thursday Sept 4. Please watch http://www.ubuntu.com/testing for Alpha5 to be announced. You should then be able to test via a LiveCD.

Please let us know immediately if this newer 2.6.27 kernel resolves the bug reported here or if the issue remains. More importantly, please open a new bug report for each new bug/regression introduced by the 2.6.27 kernel and tag the bug report with 'linux-2.6.27'. Also, please specifically note if the issue does or does not appear in the 2.6.26 kernel. Thanks again, we really appreicate your help and feedback.

Still unable to mount /dev/fd0. The floppy module is not loaded and you need to run sudo modprobe floppy to get it to run. Is this going to be fixed soon since I hate having to type sudo modprobe floppy each and everytime I start Ubuntu 8.10.....

It is not a beta nor a candidate release anymore. Which it's still more odd as this OS is intended to be installed in older computers, also, in most all computers indeed.

It's a bit confusing, because although we of course always do love the newer features, the bug fixes and that it is now more stable, but with the new Ubuntu features and bug fixes... Sometimes also come with unexpected (basic?) new bugs.

I just had to actually use my floppy drive, not just detect it, to generate some driver disks for a windows XP box. I tried using a live CD for Ubuntu 7.10 and an installed 8.10 for comparison purposes.

Of course 7.10 detects the floppy just fine. But also the entire process of accessing the drive and moving files to it in 7.10 works as expected. Where in 8.10 it is still a bit buggy.

In 7.10, insert a disk and click on the floppy drive in Places > Computer and a dialog box opens asking you to wait while the drive is loaded.
In 8.10 you get an error message that the drive can't be mounted, while in the background, it mounts anyway.

In 7.10, when you unmount the drive, the icon in Places > computer goes back to the generic floppy drive icon and label.
In 8.10 the label stays whatever it decided to call the contents of the last floppy it read.

One function seems to be improved:
7.10 waits to do the actual file copying till you unmount the drive, at which time a dialog box pops up asking you to wait till it's done. This is followed by an "ok to remove media" popup.

8.10 seems to copy the files as soon as they are dragged to the drive, so on unmount, it is ready to remove right away.

I am confirming that adding the module floppy to /etc/modules works for me in Ubuntu 8.10 final. Added it and then modified the fstab file to auto mount floppy if a disk was present. Rebooted system and upon reload the floppy loaded itself.

Martin G Miller wrote:
> Alienexplorers said:
> "modified the fstab file to auto mount floppy if a disk was present"
>
> Interesting. What was the command line you added to fstab? This works
> if you just popped a floppy into the drive?
>
>

You have to create the mount point directory first ( sudo mkdir /media/floppy0 ) giving full write/read access to the plugdev group (" sudo chgrp plugdev /media/floppy0 " and " sudo chmod g +rwx /media/floppy0 ") for the mount command to work correctly.

I also confirm this bug, adding that on my floppy drive I have the activity led always on.

Error on my last comment: the last command is really " sudo chmod g+rwx /media/floppy0 " - you can also add a " sudo chmod o-rx /media/floppy0 " if you want to uniform with other folders' privileges, giving access rights only to members of the plugdev group.

Damiano says:
"I also confirm this bug, adding that on my floppy drive I have the activity led always on."

This is usually an indication that the data cable on the floppy drive is installed backwards. Try unplugging the data cable and turning it around the other way. Unlike IDE drives, it is easy to plug this in backwards. There may be a small label on the drive telling you which end has "pin 1". This is the side of the connector that has the black stripe on the wire.

Make sure the computer is turned off and you are grounded before working inside the case.

I'll try checking the data cable of the floppy drive, however it's strange it did not happen with Ubuntu 7.04LTS nor does it happen with Windows XP - they both recognize correctly the floppy drive, correctly use it (writing/reading), and with both the led is not always on (only with activity, as it should be). I think there should be errors on drive activity, with a cable plugged backwards - there are no errors at all with the above OSes nor using the drive on 7.10 enabling the floppy module and manually mounting the device.

I can confirm that I can successfully load and use the floppy drive but
it is not detected automatically.

Martin G Miller wrote:
> I didn't know that you were successfully using the floppy in other OS's
> without the light staying on. I suspect the cable is correct and you
> may have uncovered a different issue.
>
>

I have had the same problem on two desktops. Both had Ubuntu 8.04LTS and neither would mount the floppy drive and the light stayed on all the time for both of them. On one of the desktops I have upgraded to 8.10 and I still have the problem I initially tried the floppy cable in each of the four different configurations without any success. I now know that the cable is connected correctly and that it is the OS. On the desktop that still has 8.04LTS the floppy icon does show up in the [Places] menu, but not on the 8.10 desktop.

I am hoping that the developers will find a solution for all of us in this matter.

After install of Ubuntu 8.10, I Had no floppy.
Floppy light was on all the time, but could not mount / access floppy.
Checked - /etc/fstab and had entry - /dev/fd0 /media/floppy0 auto rw,user,noauto 0 0

Tried lots of things mentioned on forums, but could not get it to work.

Then found the "second" bug report page on no floppy and came here via link from that page.

I can also confirm this, floppy icon doesn't appear, i did sudo modprobe floppy, but that is just temporary, because when when you re-boot again the floppy icon is not there.And by the the way the floppy icon was in 8.04 by default on my system.

Edmond Thiebaud wrote:
> I can also confirm this, floppy icon doesn't appear, i did sudo modprobe
> floppy, but that is just temporary, because when when you re-boot again
> the floppy icon is not there.And by the the way the floppy icon was in
> 8.04 by default on my system.
>
>
I seem to have the fix for this problem - it works for me anyway. Would
you like me to send details to fix it ?

Added floppy to /etc/modules and the floppy is added to the /dev directory. I insert a floppy before starting up the computer and it auto mounts the floppy. If I add the floppy after bootup I have to sudo /dev/fd0 /media/floppy0.

-- Derek Bollam <email address hidden> wrote:
Edmond Thiebaud wrote:
> I can also confirm this, floppy icon doesn't appear, i did sudo modprobe
> floppy, but that is just temporary, because when when you re-boot again
> the floppy icon is not there.And by the the way the floppy icon was in
> 8.04 by default on my system.
>
>
I seem to have the fix for this problem - it works for me anyway. Would
you like me to send details to fix it ?

D.

--
floppy disk drive not detected (module not loaded) in Intrepid Alpha 4 kernel 2.6.27-2https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/255651
You received this bug notification because you are a direct subscriber
of a duplicate bug.

Status in âlinuxâ source package in Ubuntu: Triaged

Bug description:
Trying out intrepid daily-live: There is no floppy in "Computer" and no "/dev/fd0. The "floppy" module has not been loaded. This is maybe a bug in initramfs-tools or udev, but I file it here for now.

I have pulled this patch back to the Intrepid kernel and have built some test kernels. If you could test those kernels and report back here that would be very helpful. These kernels are available at the URL below:

oops! I spoke too soon. I have the floppy drive back, but now when I remove the floppy, the files remain and I cannot close them. Finally deleted all, and cannot open a new floppy disc. The only way to open a new disc is to reboot and the circle starts anew. Any ideas?

> oops! I spoke too soon. I have the floppy drive back, but now when I
> remove the floppy, the files remain and I cannot close them. Finally
> deleted all, and cannot open a new floppy disc. The only way to open a
> new disc is to reboot and the circle starts anew. Any ideas?
>
Always unmount a disk before removing it.

I have read through this "bug" thread and I sure am confused as to the fix. I have not been able to use a floppy drive with Ubuntu 8.04, 8.10 and now 9.04.

Would someone publish the "fix" so that the floppy drives will work.

In the thread I read that someone else has the floppy drive light on all the time. The response was that the cable is backwards. That is not the truth, as I have two desktops with floppy drive lights that are "on" all the time. I have tried the cable in all four ways and it stays on. I have made sure the red indicator strip is towards the number one terminal. In short I have done all the physical things one can do and I still have the led staying on, in two (2) different desktops.

I tried to add Floppy to my /etc/modules file and I got a message that I did not have authorization to make a change. So I know I was not doing it correctly. Some instructions in that area would help me. Thanks.

I think the reason the floppy stops working is there is a conflict with either java jre or the plug in or the adobe flash for firefox. prior to adding adobe flash the floppy 1,5 media was showing up and working but after it now just shows floppy and it will not mount, and will not open. So something conflicted with it.
It was OK prior to the latest upgrade in 9.04
Never had any trouble with it in 8.10 or 8.04 however the java plug in did not work in 8.10 as it does in 9.04 but unlike 8.04 now the floppy drive is not working. Hope that helps....

Are we saying that Ubuntu cannot access floppy drives without a degree in computer technology? This is plain nonsense, it has to work out of the box. How can I help test any possible solutions please?

The user specification is:
----------------
If a floppy drive is fitted to a computer and correctly configured in the BIOS setup then it should be found by the operating system at boot and shown in Places.

When the user clicks on 'Floppy Drive' in Places the system should show the folders/files of the 'Floppy Drive' in a normal nautilus window, similar to the contents of a cd when placed in the cdrom drive.
----------------

I think the problem is that older BIOSs don't "know" whether or not a floppy drive is present (floppy drives still use an old technology designed back in 1981 or such) and loading the floppy driver module when there is no floppy drive (by adding it to /etc/modules) for everybody would probably slow down booting and result in lots of error messages (and might in some cases even cause harm to other hardware?).

Maybe adding the floppy driver to the hardware dialog that also has the closed source drivers for video cards etc. is a possible way to make it easier to enable this for "normal" users?

My BIOS has the floppy drive selected, so it should know that a floppy drive is present. Also my OS has loaded the floppy kernel on my desktop (the computer with a floppy drive), The same OS has not loaded the floppy kernel on my laptop. That indicated to me that the OS detects the floppy drive, and when found loads the kernel for it, but the OS cannot for some reason access it.

I know floppy disks are "old" technology, but it should not be that much of a problem to get them to work with a modern OS. Of course as soon as I can access my floppy disks, I will move the data to CD-R's and be done with it. I just want to get my old data files (image files, documents, and other files)

Since I have two desktops that exhibit the same lack of being able to access the floppy drive, one PC being over 5 years old the other newer, at least one of them should be able to access the floppy drive.

I am sure the older Linux distros could access the floppy drive, so why can't that access be recreated?

I keep seeing that this bug has been fixed. I would like to see the fix so that I can "FIX" it on my computer. Maybe someone can help me with it as I have tried most all of the suggested fixes and none have worked yet.

Maybe a ask me to look at "X" and report what I have, then offer the next step based on the response. Somehow it has to be made to work.

This bug was about the floppy drive not detected on boot.
Giving "sudo modprobe floppy" (which loads floppy module) in a terminal was a workaround to make it works.

If you tried using that command in a terminal and it didn't work, It's because you have a different bug from this one.
So have a look on launchpad if another bug is already opened about your bug.
If not, open a new one.

As far as I can tell, all the bug reports regarding floppy disk drives have been marked as duplicates of this one, and this is marked "Fix Released." But, there's still a bug, somewhat different from the original description in this bug report. The icon for a floppy drive appears in Nautilus, but the disk cannot actually be read: it's indicated that there is no media in the drive.

for more on the floppy subject on karmic and lucid. there are well over 200 posts. sometimes I ask myself, how many bugs and posts would be required to get this/these issue/es solved once and for all in ubuntu releases ? I mean, is it acceptable to see users turned off and give up on ubuntu because of its inability to mount floppy media and see win fly through it ? is it a reason to not make work a basic computer device because of rants that it is an obsolete technology ? I know quite a few people and fairly large offices after experimenting with ubuntu for a while that went back to win after it was discovered this issue.

For older motherboards that require a floppy to update the BIOS, it's easily done from a bootable floppy disk. Back in the days when I used to run Windows, I always did it that way because I didn't trust having Windows running while doing something as critical as a BIOS update. The OS installed on the HDD is irrelevant. As long as all the hardware is correct and properly recognized by the motherboard, you don't even have to have an OS installed to do a BIOS update and in fact, many system builders will argue that it's a good idea to update the BIOS prior to installing the OS.

I don't mean this to be a dismissal of the need for floppy support. It's still needed by people for other use cases with devices that only read/write their data to floppy. It's just that for BIOS management, it's simply not needed.

If you read through the link provided in #108 above, you will find several mentions of (relatively) simple cli solutions for mounting and unmounting the floppy. These can be semi-automated to 1 click solutions as launchers on the top panel. Not ideal, but a usable workaround till this (hopefully) gets fixed.